Method and apparatus for making a sill plate



April 25, 1933. w. SCHNELL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING A SILL PLATE Filed Feb. 6, 1951 INVENTOR. Wi/l/am Sch/re BY 60% 9 A TTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 25, 1933 U TED ENT omce WILLIAM SCHNELL, or DETROIT,- MIoIIIGAn, ASSIGNOR r rnRnsrEn-r- MANUFAc TUBING COMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN Memos ms AfPARATfiS For; MAKING a stir. l ners Application. filed Februar 6, 951. Serial Nb. 513,906.

This invention relates to as'ill plate and method and apparatus for making the same and more particularly to the method of fabricating an ornamented sheet metal sill plate for an automotive vehicle In the vehicle body art it has long been a common practice to cover the portion ofthe body sill extending along the bottom of the door opening with a strip of sheet metal known as a sill plate. These sill plates have been ornamented for practical and esthetic reasons. Heretofore these sill plates have been rolled or formed'to shape from a roll of sheet metal cut up or trimmecl and then ornamented by an etching process. This etching process adds considerably to the cost of manufacturing these sill plates. Hence, it is the object of this invention to produce a rolled sheet metal sill plate much more cheaply than heretofore. This is achieved in a rolling mill by simultaneously rolllng the sill plate to a predetermined shape and orn amenting the same. More specifically the invention comprises passing a continuous strip of sheet metal between suitable rollers to simultaneously shape and ornament the same whereupon the ornamented and shaped strip is suitably cut to form sill plates having rolled in ornamentations.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of an automotive vehicle showing a sill plate as applied to the vehicle body.

Fig. 2 illustrates an apparatus which can be used to perform the method of manufacture of the sill plate.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail of the shaping rollers.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the finished sill plate showing the rolled in ornamentation.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the sill plate shown in Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing there is shown in Fig. 2 a form of apparatus that effectively performs the method of manufacturing a sheet metal sill plate having a rolled in ornamentation. This apparatus takes the form of a feed roll of sheet metal 1. The strip of sheet metal is passed between any suitable number of pairs of forming rollers 2. These forming rollers 2 roll a pair of longitudinal beads 3 into the sheet metal strip 4 which is passed between the rollers. The beads 3 each extend lengthwise'of the sheet metal strip 4 parallel and adjacent an edge thereof. The sheet metal strip 4: is next passed through the ornamenting rolls 5. The surfaces of the ornamenting rolls 5 are suitably indented with whatever style of ornamentation it is desired to roll into the sheet metal strip 4. The ornamenting rolls 5 extend transversely of the strip 4 between'the longitudinal beads 3' and grip the sheet metal strip to both pull and push the same and at the same time roll in the desired ornamentation. All rolls are geared together with the correct speed relationship of the roll surfaces to formthe articl'e. These relationships vary with the sh'aps of the section and type of ornamenta tion. I r

In theoperation of the ornamenting rolls 5 much difficulty has been encountered with the buckling and warping of the sheet metal strip 4 in front of the rolls, that is, between the ornamenting rolls 5 and the forming rolls 2. This Warping and buckling of the sheetmetal strip 4 is produced by a number of causes. One cause is the tensioning action of the ornamenting rolls upon the surface fibers of the sheet metal strip, that is, the rollers place some of the fibers under a greater tension than others. Further, the ornamenting rolls only act upon that portion of the strip between the beads 3 and create a surplus'age of metal before the rolls. This surplus metal must go somewhere and the beadsrestrain the na tural'and normal flow of the metal and thus causethe strip to buckle A and Warp. This surplus of metal builds up in front of the ornamenting rolls until the excess' folds back upon itself and thereby ruins the strip.

It has been discovered that this buckling V verse ribs for engagement with the longitudinal ribs 3 of the strip 4. The blocks 6 and 7 are of course, fixed to the frame work of the apparatus and are bolted together by the bolts 8.. The pressure with which the blocks 6 and 7 clamp the strip a can be varied by adjusting the bolt and nut arrangement 8. Preferably the blocks 6 and 7 are clamped sufficiently close together to effect a light frictional drag action upon the metal strip 4 and maintain it fiat. VJhether or not the clamping blocks 6 and 7 cooperate with the rolls 5 to attenuate and/or stretch the metal between the rolls 5 and the clamping blocks sufficiently to accommodate the surplus metal produced by therolling action of the, orna menting rolls, the clamping blocks do counteract the tension differential between the fibers of themetal strip 4: to prevent Warping of the sheet metal strip 4. The stretching of the beads to eliminate the surplusage of metal due to ornamenting, can also be accomplished with difficulty, without the use of the blocks 6 by the proper design and pressures of the forming rolls, but the results are not as consistent nor as easily attained as when the blocks are used. The stretching of the fibers of the beads must be accurately controlled in the rolling mill in order to exactly equal the stretch of v the center portion of the strip when rolled and ornamented.

After the strip et passesthrough the ornamenting rolls 5, it is passed through straightening rolls 11 and then through suitable polishing rolls 9 which polish the same. Thereafter the rolled ornamented strip is cut into suitable lengths which are in turn out lengthwise thereof and otherwise operated upon to form the sill plate 10 such as shown in Fig. 4. The sill plate 10 is then applied to that portion of the top of the body sill which is exposed .along the bottom of the door opening as shown in Fig. 1. E

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to. the cross-section shown but may be various types of beads and angles with appropriate ornamentation on the surfaces. A I

.It is evident from the above description that there is herein produced a sheet metal sill plate having a rolled in ornamentation, and a method. and apparatus by which said sill plate is simultaneously rolled to both shape and ornament the same. I claim 1. An apparatus for operating upon a continuously moving sheet metal strip comprising in combination a pair of rollers for forming the said strip to a predetermined shape, a pair of ornamenting rollers for indenting an ornamentation upon the said-strip, and rigid means in front of the said 'ornamenting, rollers for stretching the fibers of the metal strip to maintain the predetermined shape and to prevent the warping of the said strip.

2. An apparatus for operating upon a continuously moving sheet metal strip comprising in combination a pair of rollers arranged to roll a longitudinal bead in the said strip, another pair of rollers for operating simultaneously with the aforesaid pair of rollers for rolling a surface ornamentation into the said strip and for pulling the strip through the forming rollers, and form maintaining means positioned in front of the said orna- 1 menting rolls slidably' engaging the said strip along a fiat surface to prevent buckling of the same.

I 3. An apparatus for operating upon a continuous moving sheet metal strip comprising in combination a pair of rollers for rolling a pair of beads lengthwise of the strip, a' pair of ornamenting rollers operating simultaneously with the aforesaid rollers for indenting an ornamentation upon the said strip between the longitudinal beads and a pair of blocks positioned in front of the said ornamenting rollers arranged to have a sliding frictional engagement with the said strip to prevent buckling of the same, the surfaces of saidblocks being adapted to maintain the form of the strip as deteri'nined by the forming rolls. p

4. The method of fabricating a sheet metal plate comprising rolling a continuous flat strip of sheet metal to a predetermined shape, then indenting the previously rolled portion of the said strip to orna ment' the same, and stretching some of the fibers of the strip between the rolling and the indenting operations to overcome tensional differences in the fibers to prevent warping of the strip, the said rolling, stretching and indenting operations being carried on simultaneously upon different portions. of the continuously moving strip.

I In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

: WILLIAM SCHNELL. 

